[Cropped letter from William Orpen to Mrs St George with a self-portrait of the artist]

Title Translation

Description

Handwritten letter which has been cropped removing the top half of the letter. In the section that remains Orpen informs Mrs St George that 'Asquith did not turn up'. Below is a sketch of the artist, illustrating how he feels as he is writing this letter.

Collection

Graves Collection of William Orpen Letters

Date

(1909)

Physical Description

15.7 x 20.3 cm.

Media

Ink on paper

Provenance

Presented by Mrs Vivien Graves to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1974.

Asquith did not turn up
too much at the [Ritz] lunch I expect.
this is how I feel
Yours very sincerely
William Orpen

Orpen, Sir William, 1878-1931

Sir William Orpen, Irish artist, born in Dublin, Orpen trained at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art before moving to London to study at the Slade School of Fine Art. He remained in London and became a highly successful portrait and subject painter. Appointed Official War Artist in 1917, Orpen left for France and was stationed at Amiens and the Somme Battlefields. He returned to London after the war and remained there until his death.

St George, Florence Evelyn, 1870-1938

Florence Evelyn St George, eldest child of New York banker George F Baker. In 1906 while married to Howard Bligh St George she began a relationship with Sir William Orpen.